Mayor describes a city poisedfor 2016 growth

Elon Glucklich @EGlucklich

Tuesday

Jan 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM

SPRINGFIELD — New home construction, school and hospital improvements and a rebuilt Swanson Group mill have Springfield poised for growth in 2016, Mayor Christine Lundberg said Monday in her sixth State of the City address.

In a rosy speech to more than 100 people at the Richard Wildish Theater on Main Street, Lundberg repeatedly spoke of Springfield’s “hometown feel,” and residents’ embrace of diversity and willingness to work together to solve challenges facing the city.

“As our city grows and Springfield’s families continue to change, it is these shared experiences and our work together that will maintain our beloved hometown feel,” Lundberg said.

Touching on a wide range of economic, public safety and social issues that affected Springfield in 2015, she urged citizens to adjust to change and help others feel at home.

She spoke of investments made in the city, such as Swanson Group’s decision to rebuild the South F Street mill that burned down in 2014, before naming the company Springfield’s business of the year.

“Sometimes redevelopment can come from something heartbreaking,” Lundberg said. “We are grateful that in April, the Swanson Group announced that it would not only rebuild the lost facility but upgrade it to include investments of more than $50 million for a new 330,000-square-foot veneer and plywood operation to replace the mill and employ about 190 people.”

She also mentioned New York-based Rouse Properties’ $45 million remodeling and renaming of Gateway Mall as The Shoppes at Gateway, the $80 million expansion at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center and International Paper’s $101.6 million upgrade to its local plant.

The city restructured parts of its Development and Public Works Department to control budget costs, Lundberg said, as the city works to recover revenue lost during the recession. Lundberg noted efforts to control employee health and worker compensation costs.

“In 2015, our budget continued to stabilize as the economy improved,” she said. “Our goal for next year’s budget is to continue our efforts to find new ways to improve services to our community while living within the resources that are available.”

Lundberg mentioned efforts to bring new public art and veterans’ memorial statues to the city this year. A 62-foot-tall stainless steel “flame” sculpture is set to rise in the Gateway area, while a veterans memorial honoring women in service will be installed at Willamalane Park.

Lundberg said the city plans several major transportation projects during the next year, including a $10 million redesign of Franklin Boulevard with state assistance, and safety improvements along Main Street.

Without mentioning the February accident at 54th and Main streets that killed three young children, Lundberg noted state grants the city secured for a “rapid flashing beacon” crossing at 58th and Main for Thurston High School students last year, and two to be installed elsewhere on Main Street this year.

“All of these efforts combined will help us to continually improve safety on Main Street and all of the city streets we travel on each day,” Lundberg said.

She finished her address by thanking city councilors; local school, park and utility board members; City Manager Gino Grimaldi; and the city staff for their work during the last year.